A biomassa vegetal é a maior fonte de carbono renovável disponível, e é composta de celulose, hemicelulose e lignina. A lignina, um heteropolímero polifenólico complexo, é uma barreira a utilização mais eficiente da biomassa. Fungos desenvolveram formas de superar o obstáculo imposto pela lignina, através da atividade de enzimas como peroxidases, e da ação de pequenas moléculas reativas. As duas formas dependem da presença de peróxido de hidrogênio, que é produzido pela atividade de enzimas como aril-álcool oxidases (AAOs). AAOs são enzimas pertencentes a superfamília GMC de oxidoredutases e, portanto, possuem FAD como grupo prostético. Realizam a conversão de álcoois aromáticos à aldeídos, com concomitante produção de peróxido de hidrogênio. Devido à capacidade de oxidação de substratos variados, e dependente somente de oxigênio molecular, AAOs têm potencial aplicação na indústria biotecnológica, tanto como produtoras de peróxido de hidrogênio quanto na produção de químicos-plataforma a partir da biomassa. No entanto, AAOs ainda têm poucos exemplares caracterizados, e a maior parte dos estudos publicados é referente a enzimas do gênero de fungos basidiomicetos Pleurotus sp.. A enzima MtAAOx do fungo ascomiceto termofílico M. thermophila foi produzida de forma heteróloga em A. nidulans, e algumas de suas propriedades bioquímicas e estruturais foram determinadas. MtAAOx é uma enzima extracelular monomérica glicosilada, com grupo FAD dissociável, e capaz de oxidar álcoois aromáticos fenólicos e não fenólicos, incluindo um monômero da lignina, coniferil álcool, substrato para o qual a enzima teve mais afinidade. MtAAOx, além de oxidar álcoois aromáticos, também foi capaz de oxidar um substrato heterocíclico, 5-HMF, e de utilizar outro aceptor de elétrons além do oxigênio. Esses resultados, aliados a baixa similaridade entre sequencias de aminoácidos indicam que MtAAOx tem sítio catalítico e canal de acesso do substrato distintos das AAOs até o momento caracterizadas. A enzima MtAAOx deglicosilada teve estabilidade térmica reduzida em comparação com a enzima nativa. A atividade enzimática foi afetada positivamente com a presença de alguns cátions, entre eles Ca2+. Além de afetar a atividade, Ca2+proporcionou ganho de estabilidade térmica, com aumento da temperatura de melting em 5 ºC. Esta enzima é uma nova aril-álcool oxidase caracterizada, a primeira de um fungo ascomiceto, e acredita-se que tenha papel na degradação da lignina da biomassa vegetal. / Plant biomass is the largest source of available renewable carbon, and is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Lignin, a complex polyphenolic heteropolymer, is a barrier to a more efficient use of biomass. Fungi have developed ways to overcome the obstacle imposed by lignin through the activity of enzymes such as peroxidases and the action of small reactive molecules. The two forms depend on the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which is produced by the activity of enzymes such as aryl-alcohol oxidases (AAOs). AAOs are enzymes belonging to the GMC superfamily of oxidoreductases and therefore have FAD as the prosthetic group. They perform the conversion of aromatic alcohols to aldehydes, with simultaneous production of hydrogen peroxide. Because of their capacity of oxidizing various substrates, and dependence only on molecular oxygen, AAOs have potential applications in the biotech industry, both as hydrogen peroxide producers and in the production of platform chemicals derived from biomass. However, characterized AAOs are few, most of the published studies being on enzymes of basidiomycete fungi from genus Pleurotus sp.. The MtAAOx enzyme of the thermophilic ascomycete M. thermophila was produced heterologously in A. nidulans, and some of its biochemical and structural properties were determined. MtAAOx is a glycosylated, monomeric, extracellular enzyme with a dissociable FAD group, capable of oxidizing phenolic and non-phenolic aromatic alcohols, including a lignin monomer, coniferyl alcohol, the substrate for which the enzyme has the highest affinity. MtAAOx, besides oxidizing aromatic alcohols, was also able to oxidize a heterocyclic substrate, 5-HMF, and to use another electron acceptor in addition to oxygen. These results, combined with the low similarity between amino acid sequences, indicate that MtAAOx has a catalytic site and substrate access channel distinct from characterized AAOs\'. The deglycosylated MtAAOx enzyme had reduced thermal stability compared to the native enzyme. The enzymatic activity was positively affected by the presence of some cations, including Ca2+. In addition to affecting the activity, Ca2+ improved thermal stability, with 5 °C increase of the melting temperature. This enzyme is a novel aryl-alcohol oxidase characterized, the first of an ascomycete fungus, and is believed to play a role in the lignin degradation of plant biomass.

Thiophene ended poly(ethylene oxide) (ThPEO) and random copolymer (RPEO) of 3-methylthienyl methacrylate and p-vinylbenzyloxy poly (ethyleneoxide) units were synthesized chemically. Further graft copolymerization of RPEO and ThPEO with pyrrole (Py) and thiophene (Th) were achieved in H2O - sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), H2O - p-toluenesulphonic acid (PTSA) and acetonitrile (AN) - tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAFB) solvent electrolyte couples via constant potential electrolyses. Characterizations were performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphologies of the films were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Conductivities of the samples were measured by using four-probe technique. Moreover, spectroelectrochemical and electrochromic properties of the copolymers obtained from thiophene were investigated by UV-Vis spectrometry and colorimetry. . Immobilizations of alcohol oxidase and polyphenol oxidase enzymes were performed in the matrices obtained via copolymerization of ThPEO and RPEO with pyrrole. Immobilization was carried out via entrapment of enzyme in matrices during the polymerization of pyrrole. Temperature optimization, operational stability and shelf-life of the enzyme electrodes were investigated. Maximum reaction rate (Vmax) and Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) were determined. It is known that wine includes phenolic groups that give astringency in high concentrations. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) converts mono and diphenols to quinone. By analyzing the product, one can find out the amount of phenolic groups. By using the enzyme electrodes via immobilization of PPO, amount of phenolics in different wines were analyzed.

In this study, the effects of pH on therapeutically important protein, recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPO), production by Pichia pastoris was investigated at pH=4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0. rHuEPO production was started by methanol induction in fed-batch mode. The highest cell concentration was obtained at pH=4.5 as 81.4 g L-1. The co-substrate substrate sorbitol, which was added batch-wise, was consumed at t=15 h of the operations at pH=4.0, 4.5 and 5.0. However as the pH increases above pH=5.0 the sorbitol consumption rate decreases. The highest rHuEPO concentration was achieved at pH=4.5 as 0.158 g L-1 which was 1.43-, 1.24-, 1.95- and 1.23-fold higher than those obtained at pH=4.0, 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0, respectively. Also at pH=4.5 overall cell yield on substrate was 0.51 g g-1 and overall rHuEPO yield on substrate was 1.45 mg g-1. rHuEPO concentration was decreased in the last 3-6 hour of the operation due to proteolysis. Therefore extracellular protease concentrations in the medium were determined. As expected, since the investigated pH range was acidic, the amount of acidic proteases was found to be higher than neutral and basic proteases. Furthermore the total protease concentration increased linearly in the fermentation broth, having close values at different pH values. Thus, pH did not have a significant effect on extracellular protease activity. Alcohol oxidase (AOX) activities showed similar behavior at different pH. The highest specific AOX activity was attained at pH=4.5, at which the highest rHuEPO concentration was achieved, as 110.1 U g-1 CDW. Keywords:

A biomassa vegetal é a maior fonte de carbono renovável disponível, e é composta de celulose, hemicelulose e lignina. A lignina, um heteropolímero polifenólico complexo, é uma barreira a utilização mais eficiente da biomassa. Fungos desenvolveram formas de superar o obstáculo imposto pela lignina, através da atividade de enzimas como peroxidases, e da ação de pequenas moléculas reativas. As duas formas dependem da presença de peróxido de hidrogênio, que é produzido pela atividade de enzimas como aril-álcool oxidases (AAOs). AAOs são enzimas pertencentes a superfamília GMC de oxidoredutases e, portanto, possuem FAD como grupo prostético. Realizam a conversão de álcoois aromáticos à aldeídos, com concomitante produção de peróxido de hidrogênio. Devido à capacidade de oxidação de substratos variados, e dependente somente de oxigênio molecular, AAOs têm potencial aplicação na indústria biotecnológica, tanto como produtoras de peróxido de hidrogênio quanto na produção de químicos-plataforma a partir da biomassa. No entanto, AAOs ainda têm poucos exemplares caracterizados, e a maior parte dos estudos publicados é referente a enzimas do gênero de fungos basidiomicetos Pleurotus sp.. A enzima MtAAOx do fungo ascomiceto termofílico M. thermophila foi produzida de forma heteróloga em A. nidulans, e algumas de suas propriedades bioquímicas e estruturais foram determinadas. MtAAOx é uma enzima extracelular monomérica glicosilada, com grupo FAD dissociável, e capaz de oxidar álcoois aromáticos fenólicos e não fenólicos, incluindo um monômero da lignina, coniferil álcool, substrato para o qual a enzima teve mais afinidade. MtAAOx, além de oxidar álcoois aromáticos, também foi capaz de oxidar um substrato heterocíclico, 5-HMF, e de utilizar outro aceptor de elétrons além do oxigênio. Esses resultados, aliados a baixa similaridade entre sequencias de aminoácidos indicam que MtAAOx tem sítio catalítico e canal de acesso do substrato distintos das AAOs até o momento caracterizadas. A enzima MtAAOx deglicosilada teve estabilidade térmica reduzida em comparação com a enzima nativa. A atividade enzimática foi afetada positivamente com a presença de alguns cátions, entre eles Ca2+. Além de afetar a atividade, Ca2+proporcionou ganho de estabilidade térmica, com aumento da temperatura de melting em 5 ºC. Esta enzima é uma nova aril-álcool oxidase caracterizada, a primeira de um fungo ascomiceto, e acredita-se que tenha papel na degradação da lignina da biomassa vegetal. / Plant biomass is the largest source of available renewable carbon, and is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Lignin, a complex polyphenolic heteropolymer, is a barrier to a more efficient use of biomass. Fungi have developed ways to overcome the obstacle imposed by lignin through the activity of enzymes such as peroxidases and the action of small reactive molecules. The two forms depend on the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which is produced by the activity of enzymes such as aryl-alcohol oxidases (AAOs). AAOs are enzymes belonging to the GMC superfamily of oxidoreductases and therefore have FAD as the prosthetic group. They perform the conversion of aromatic alcohols to aldehydes, with simultaneous production of hydrogen peroxide. Because of their capacity of oxidizing various substrates, and dependence only on molecular oxygen, AAOs have potential applications in the biotech industry, both as hydrogen peroxide producers and in the production of platform chemicals derived from biomass. However, characterized AAOs are few, most of the published studies being on enzymes of basidiomycete fungi from genus Pleurotus sp.. The MtAAOx enzyme of the thermophilic ascomycete M. thermophila was produced heterologously in A. nidulans, and some of its biochemical and structural properties were determined. MtAAOx is a glycosylated, monomeric, extracellular enzyme with a dissociable FAD group, capable of oxidizing phenolic and non-phenolic aromatic alcohols, including a lignin monomer, coniferyl alcohol, the substrate for which the enzyme has the highest affinity. MtAAOx, besides oxidizing aromatic alcohols, was also able to oxidize a heterocyclic substrate, 5-HMF, and to use another electron acceptor in addition to oxygen. These results, combined with the low similarity between amino acid sequences, indicate that MtAAOx has a catalytic site and substrate access channel distinct from characterized AAOs\'. The deglycosylated MtAAOx enzyme had reduced thermal stability compared to the native enzyme. The enzymatic activity was positively affected by the presence of some cations, including Ca2+. In addition to affecting the activity, Ca2+ improved thermal stability, with 5 °C increase of the melting temperature. This enzyme is a novel aryl-alcohol oxidase characterized, the first of an ascomycete fungus, and is believed to play a role in the lignin degradation of plant biomass.

Les biocapteurs sont des moyens d'analyse en plein essor à la fois rapides, sélectifs et peu coûteux applicables à des domaines extrêmement variés (environnement, santé, agroalimentaire,…). Dans ce type d'outil, un élément sensible de nature biologique (anticorps, enzyme, microorganisme, ADN…) doté d'un pouvoir de reconnaissance pour un analyte ou un groupe d'analytes est associé à un transducteur pouvant être de type électrochimique, optique ou thermique. Dans ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés au développement de trois biocapteurs utilisant des enzymes de la famille des oxydo-réductases (alcool oxydase, lactate oxydase et formaldéhyde déshydrogénase) pour la détection d'analytes d'intérêt dans le domaine de l'agroalimentaire ou de l'environnement (alcools, lactate et formaldéhyde). Les trois enzymes ont été immobilisées sur des microélectrodes interdigitées en or en vue d'une détection conductimétrique. Nous avons cherché à mieux comprendre le fonctionnement des biocapteurs et optimisé le procédé d'immobilisation des enzymes ainsi que différents paramètres de fabrication ou de mesure afin de maximiser les performances analytiques des outils développés (sélectivité, limite de détection, reproductibilité, stabilité). Nous avons également démontré les potentialités d'application des deux biocapteurs conductimétriques à base de lactate oxydase et de formaldéhyde déshydrogénase pour la détection du lactate dans les produits laitiers et du formaldéhyde dans les eaux / Biosensors are rapid, selective and inexpensive devices that combine a biological recognition element, the so-called bioreceptor (e.g. enzymes, antibodies, DNA or microorganisms) to a physical transducer (e.g. electrochemical, optical, thermal or piezoelectrical). They can be used to detect one specific analyte or one family of analytes for a wide range of applications (e.g. environment, food, health). In this work, we developed biosensors based on three oxidoreductases (alcohol oxidase, lactate oxidase and formaldehyde dehydrogenase) for primary alcohols, lactate and formaldehyde analysis. The three enzymes were immobilized on interdigitated gold microelectrodes in view of conductometric detection. We tried to achieve a better understanding of biosensors processing and optimized enzyme immobilization as well as several fabrication or operational parameters to maximize analytical performances (selectivity, detection limit, reproducibility and stability). We also demonstrated the applicability of both conductometric biosensors based on lactate oxidase and formaldehyde dehydrogenase for the detection of lactate in dairy products and formaldehyde in waters

Enzymatic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and its oxidized derivatives was studied using three fungal enzymes: wild-type aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO) from three fungal species, wild-type peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO), and recombinant galactose oxidase (GAO). The effect of pH on different reaction steps was evaluated and apparent kinetic data (Michaelis-Menten constants, turnover numbers, specific constants) were calculated for different enzyme-substrate ratios and enzyme combinations. Finally, the target product, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), was prepared in a multi-enzyme cascade reaction combining three fungal oxidoreductases at micro-scale. Furthermore, an oxidase-like reaction is proposed for heme-containing peroxidases, such as UPO, horseradish peroxidase, or catalase, causing the conversion of 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid into FDCA in the absence of exogenous hydrogen peroxide.

Enzymatic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and its oxidized derivatives was studied using three fungal enzymes: wild-type aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO) from three fungal species, wild-type peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO), and recombinant galactose oxidase (GAO). The effect of pH on different reaction steps was evaluated and apparent kinetic data (Michaelis-Menten constants, turnover numbers, specific constants) were calculated for different enzyme-substrate ratios and enzyme combinations. Finally, the target product, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), was prepared in a multi-enzyme cascade reaction combining three fungal oxidoreductases at micro-scale. Furthermore, an oxidase-like reaction is proposed for heme-containing peroxidases, such as UPO, horseradish peroxidase, or catalase, causing the conversion of 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid into FDCA in the absence of exogenous hydrogen peroxide.